Hey, it's like nothing really changed while Jordan was away from the Atlanta Braves.

"I was in a time warp," he quipped. "A miserable time warp."

Jordan rejoined the Braves just a month before the start of spring training, trying to revive a career that's been plagued by injuries. He's almost 38, so nothing is guaranteed. But at least he's home again.

"They really took care of me," Jordan said Tuesday, sitting at his familiar stall in the clubhouse.

He played with the Braves from 1999-01, putting up a career-high 115 RBIs his first season and providing a fiery presence in the clubhouse.

Then, Jordan was traded to the Dodgers - a bitter blow considering Atlanta had been his home for more than decade, dating back to his days as a Pro Bowl safety for the NFL Atlanta Falcons.

He didn't like the way he was told - with a phone call instead of face to face - and he didn't want to leave his wife and kids.

But Jordan also understood that being traded was part of the business, especially when the Braves were able to land Gary Sheffield from Los Angeles.

"Sheff is a great player," Jordan said. "I just wanted to stay and play with him."

The last two seasons, Jordan wasn't able to play much with anyone.

He underwent major knee surgery in 2003, limiting him to 66 games for the Dodgers. Moving on to Texas, he got in just 61 games a year ago, and concedes that he should have given his ailing left knee more time to heal.

"I would have been smart to sit out half a season last year," he said, rubbing a knee that is pockmarked with surgical scars. "That's why you should always listen to your doctor."

Jordan batted just .222 last season - his lowest average since he was a rookie with the Cardinals in 1992, still trying to make the switch from football to baseball.

Clearly, he wasn't the same player.

"You don't want to play worrying about injuries," Jordan said. "I was scared to make any wrong moves. It took away my aggressiveness. That's not me."

There weren't a lot of offers when the Rangers let him go. But Jordan didn't give up, going through a strenuous offseason program that knocked off a few pounds and bulked up his knee.

"The knee has come around," Jordan insisted. "I feel like I can be myself again."

He was thrilled to hear from his agent that the Braves were interested. The team had two openings in the outfield, losing J.D. Drew as a free agent and trading co-left fielders Charles Thomas and Eli Marrero.

The Braves signed Raul Mondesi as Drew's replacement in right and brought in Jordan to compete with several younger players in left. By baseball standards, he agreed to a bottom-of-the-barrel deal - one year at $600,000, with a chance for another $400,000 in performance and roster bonuses. Certainly, it's a far cry from the five-year, $40 million deal that Jordan got for his first stint with the Braves.

But he doesn't look at himself as a part-time player, brought in to provide leadership to young outfielders such as Ryan Langerhans, Bill McCarthy and Jeff Francoeur.

"It's my competitive nature," Jordan said. "I want to play. I want to perform. I want to lead by example - on the field."

He's already smoothed over any hard feelings that were left from the 2001 trade, talking things out privately with general manager John Schuerholz.

"Now I understand why he had to do it over the phone," Jordan said.

Those who played with Jordan during his first stint in Atlanta are thrilled to have him back.

"I'll take that guy in my foxhole any day," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "He's a high-energy guy. That's something we need. We were very successful when he was here before. We just need him to be healthy for about 150 games."

Jordan also has been hampered by wrist, shoulder and back injuries. Amazingly, he never had any such problems while playing for the Falcons from 1989-91.

"I'm always giving him a hard time about that," hitting coach Terry Pendleton said. "I thought football was supposed to be the contact sport."

The Braves will hold their first full-squad workout on Wednesday, but Jordan was among the regulars who came in several days ahead of schedule. He couldn't wait to get home.

"I feel good," Jordan said, making sure to tap his knuckles on the wooden frame of his locker a few times. "So far, so good."